804 



THE DIPTERA 



although Austen states that in the type specimen of the species 

 C. castaneus Walker, 1848, the abdomen is apparently distended 

 with blood as far as can be judged by external examination. 



Synonyms. — Ceratopogon Meigen, 1803, pro parte / Cheironomus 

 Fabricius. 



Definition. — ^Ceratopogoninse with body small, pilose, or bare. 

 Head depressed in front, prolonged into a short rostrum. Proboscis, 

 which is markedly longer than the head, with fleshy labium ; labrum 

 horny, seated on base of labium. Maxillse long and horny. Antennae 

 filiform, fourteen-jointed, hairy, with the second to eighth joints 

 cylindrical, ovate, and the next four or five more elongate and sub- 

 cylindrical, and the last joint ovate and cylindrical. Subcostal 

 vein ending much beyond half the length of wing; radial ending 



near tip; cubital ending by the tip. Abdomen composed of eight 

 segments. Legs almost equal in length ; femora armed beneath with 

 spines. 



Type. — Culicoides pulicaris Linnaeus. 



There are over one hundred known species of this genus (and 

 many more have been described since this statement was first 

 written), in which only the females suck blood, which they do most 

 viciously, and though they are not known to cause disease, still 

 they give rise to much irritation, especially as, being very small, 

 they can get through any, ordinary mosquito-netting. The eggs 



Culicoides Latreille, 1809. 



Fig. 402. — Culicoides pulicaris: Female. 

 (After Austen, ' British Blood- Sucking Flies.') 



